Surprise, Ariz. ? Jeremy Affeldt and the Kansas City Royals received a major scare in the first inning Saturday in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Mariners leadoff man Randy Winn lined a shot off Affeldt’s body. Affeldt recovered to throw out Winn, but manager Tony Pena and the trainer came rushing out of the dugout to check on the young left-hander.

“It missed my glove and hit me right about the (left) hip,” Affeldt said. “I need that fat roll. It got all skin. It didn’t get the ribs. It stung for a little bit, but I’m all right.”

Affeldt remained in the game and threw 42/3 innings, allowing two runs, one unearned, on four hits. Edgar Martinez homered for the Mariners.

“Edgar did more than hit it. He dented it,” Affeldt said. “I left it up and it deserved to be hit. A hitter of his caliber is going to hit it a long way.”

Affeldt, picked Saturday to start the third game of the season, has had no problems this spring training with a finger blister, which has put him on the disabled list the previous two seasons.

“The finger is good,” Affeldt said. “I don’t even think of it really. Everything is good to go.”

Seattle’s Hiram Bocachica hit a two-run home run against Scott Sullivan in the seventh inning.

Sullivan has allowed 10 earned runs on 13 hits and three walks in 82/3 innings.

K.C. sends three to minors

The Kansas City Royals reassigned outfielder Brandon Berger and right-handed pitchers Doug Linton and Erik Hiljus to their minor-league camp Saturday.

All three players were nonroster invites, whose departures left the Royals with 42 players in camp.

Berger hit .333 in six exhibition games.